LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Lopez would be a good fit as mayor

Blade columnist Keith Burris seems obsessed with trying to dig up any nonsense that may discredit Lucas County Auditor Anita Lopez as a qualified Toledo mayoral candidate (“Fact checking Lopez can be an aerobic activity,” commentary, Aug. 6).

Obviously, Mr. Burris hasn’t had any contact with the auditor’s office, which operates efficiently and with compassion after the dysfunctional disaster of the previous administration.

Ms. Lopez would be a refreshing change in the mayor’s office, because she has a history of improving governance.

Mr. Burris and the other mayoral candidates should stop tearing down Ms. Lopez. They instead should put forth what is positive about each candidate and what the candidates can offer to improve the city.

I have elderly parents who live in Toledo. The previous and current administrations have made life more difficult for seniors — through the introduction of a new trash-collection system, for instance. Ms. Lopez has her parents living with her, so we know that she understands the issues that seniors face.

Fact-checking is lacking all aroundKeith Burris said that Ms. Lopez’s claims about the city’s practice of placing water and sewer liens on properties after they had been sold needed to be fact- checked. Mr. Burris then accepted without question Mayor Mike Bell’s claim that he stopped the practice when he learned of it.

A quick search of The Blade’s archives would have shown that Mr. Bell’s claims were false. In June, 2010, The Blade reported that Mayor Bell met with Auditor Lopez’s office to discuss the issue, and that his “administration would cut back on the practice of placing liens on properties because of delinquent utility bills from a previous homeowner.”

That article also said: “Tom Crothers, the city’s director of the Department of Public Utilities, said the city would not completely stop the process of placing liens on properties for delinquent bills from previous owners, which he maintains is legal.” Mayor Bell’s statements need to be fact-checked.

Mr. Burris asked why Ms. Lopez is still talking about the issue. She acted to stop an abusive, possibly illegal practice by the city that levied fines on people who owed nothing.

This is why she’s running for mayor: to put the interests of the residents of Toledo first.

DOUGLAS JOHNSONWillys Parkway

Animals needto be treated wellIn his Aug. 3 op-ed column, “Drawing a line on animal rights,” Nicholas Kristof wondered whether our descendants will be confused by how 21st-century folks could be so oblivious to the unethical treatment of animals. I couldn’t agree with him more.

People should speak out against animal mistreatment. If we don’t mistreat animals but look the other way when others do, does that make us better than those doing the mistreating?

ANNE DeLONGSandralee Drive

Early voting center confusingWhy does it seem as if every election, the early voting center changes location (“Lucas County voters can cast their votes early on weekdays,” Aug. 7)? I had to Google Summit Plaza to find out where it is.